California Legislators: Stand with Women and Children

Women are the backbone of California's families, workforce and economy. Yet over the past three years, California has chosen cuts-only budgets that have shredded programs critical to the health and safety of women and families. Make no mistake: more cuts means destroying people's lives.

Who do your legislators stand with? Women and children, or wealthy corporate interests?

After years of legislators passing tax loopholes that generate corporate profits, the state has a massive deficit. The result? Severe program cuts that risk the lives of women and families.

It’s our lawmakers’ job to come up with revenue solutions, not cuts that come at the expense of women who play by the rules and rely on our state’s social safety net.

You have until June 14 to tell your state senator and assembly member: A temporary tax increase on the wealthy is better than permanent poverty for women and children.

Letter to

California State House

California State Senate

Women of California are suffering. A report recently published by the Women's Foundation of California, Falling Behind, showed that between 2006 and 2010, the employment rate for single mothers dropped by 10.4 percent; the percentage of older women living in poverty increased by almost 2 percent; and the enrollment in community colleges dropped by 130,000 students–82 percent of those students were women.

It's time to admit that cuts are not the solution to the state's fiscal problem. We need revenue solutions!

Today I ask you, my representative, to stand with women of California and

1. Reject cuts to CalWORKs, the California welfare to work program2. Reject restructuring and cuts to subsidized childcare, a vital program that keeps families working and children learning3. Reject cuts to Cal Grants so that low-income women can have a chance to get an education that helps them advance